''Happy Christmas'' is a 2014 American

comedy-drama Comedy drama, also known by the portmanteau ''dramedy'', is a genre of dramatic works that combines elements of comedy and drama. The modern, scripted-television examples tend to have more humorous bits than simple comic relief seen in a typical ...

film written, produced and directed by Joe Swanberg. It stars Swanberg, Anna Kendrick, Melanie Lynskey, Mark Webber (actor), Mark Webber, and Lena Dunham. Like most of Swanberg's previous features, the film's dialogue was entirely improvised. The film had its world premiere at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival (where it was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize in the ''U.S. Dramatic Competition'') on January 19, 2014. It was released on June 26, 2014, through video on demand prior to being released in a limited release July 25, 2014 in the United States by Magnolia Pictures.

Plot

Irresponsible 20-something Jenny (Anna Kendrick) arrives in Chicago to live with her older brother Jeff (Joe Swanberg), a young filmmaker living a happy existence with his novelist wife Kelly (Melanie Lynskey) and their two-year-old son. Jenny's arrival shakes up their quiet domesticity as she and Jenny's friend from high school Carson (Lena Dunham) instigate an evolution in Kelly's life and career.

Cast

*Anna Kendrick as Jenny *Melanie Lynskey as Kelly *Joe Swanberg as Jeff *Mark Webber (actor), Mark Webber as Kevin *Lena Dunham as Carson

Release

Magnolia Pictures and Paramount Pictures jointly acquired the international distribution rights prior to the film's premiere screening. The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 19, 2014. The film was released on video on demand on June 26, 2014, before being released in a limited release on July 25, 2014.

Reception

The film has been met with positive reviews. On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of based on reviews, with an average rating of . The website's critics consensus reads: "Intelligent, well-acted, and satisfyingly low-key, ''Happy Christmas'' marks another step in prolific filmmaker Joe Swanberg's creative evolution." On Metacritic, the film has a score of 70 out of 100, based on 28 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews."

References

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